We are delighted to introduce the 4 winners of the 2011 Early Career Conference Awards, Co-Sponsored by SLA Europe, Business & Finance Division, Legal Division, Pharmaceutical and Health Technology Division and Leadership & Management Division.

Chris Cooper:

I have recently been appointed as the Information Specialist to the Peninsula Technology Assessment Group, coming from a public health research background at King’s College London. My work at Pentag is primarily to specialise in the field of health technology assessment but also includes providing information support to the Centre’s Cochrane and public health reviews. I am interested in the methodological aspects of information gathering and am looking forward to conference to meet fellow information specialists working in these areas.

I am grateful to the SLA and the Pharmaceutical & Health Technology Division who sponsor my bursary.

Natalia Madjarevic:

I graduated from University College London in 2009 with an MA in Library and Information Studies. Before this, I completed my Library Graduate Traineeship at the Guardian and Observer Research and Information Department in 2008. I currently work as an Information Assistant at the library of Queen Mary, University of London.

At the SLA Conference I’m most looking forward to discovering how special libraries from around the world have developed strategies for providing continually improving services in a difficult economic climate. I’m also keen to see how HE libraries can learn from the Business and Finance division.

Ned Potter:

I work as the Digitisation Coordinator at the University of Leeds. In my own time I do a lot of stuff aimed towards new library professionals, and I’m interested in new technologies in the library, marketing and advocacy – all the stuff everyone is interested in these days, really!

I want to learn as much as I can about special libraries, the SLA itself, and about the future of the profession – I’m looking forward to seeing Stephen Abram’s talk, particularly. It’s also a great chance to do a little trans-Atlantic networking, and learn more about the global profession. In America they seem to do conferences on a fairly epic scale – I can’t wait.

Sam Wiggins:

I am currently studying for my M.A in Librarianship at the University of Sheffield, having previously completed a library graduate traineeship with a commercial law firm in London. Prior to this, I studied history at the University of Cambridge. I’m most looking forward to hearing about practical applications for many of the theoretical ideas I have examined as part of my M.A., especially from the international perspective SLA 2011 will provide. With a bit of luck I’ll then be able to make use of them in both my dissertation as well as in future employment.